Escape
Escape to freedom
A slave’s escape story
I am running, running faster than I never knew I could. The dogs caught on to my scent after the creek and now they’re closing in. I have no choice but to keep running because if I stop death by lashing is almost certain. I should probably explain how I got here in the first place. Hi, my name is Sally Shayne and until a few hours ago I was a slave of the Cottonwood Family in South Carolina. This story all starts back about a week ago when the warden announced that we were going to be sold off during the week because our owner Mr. Fields couldn’t afford our uptake anymore. I have lived on that plantation all my fifteen years and I had really grown close to the other slaves. Everyone was in shock especially Samba and Shawnee who were practically my brother and sister. There were sold to a man in Georgia within two days. After the loss I didn’t have a reason to stay so I packed up some food from dinner, my few possessions and waited. The warden as usual did his nightly head count which was sort of ironic since I was the only one left. Then I snuck out of the window silently so as not to be heard and ran as soon as I hit the forests edge. For a while I thought I was home free after all I had walked up the creek for ten minutes before I got out and started running again. Unfortunately though the dogs crossed over and somehow managed to pick my scent up again. So there, you’re caught up. Wait, I have suddenly noticed a change, the dogs aren’t barking anymore. I slow down, turn around, and see nothing. I must have gotten away. To be safe I climb the nearest tree and find a branch not visible from the ground. Exhausted and sweaty I close my eyes and fall asleep.
When I wake up at dawn I scarf down a cold breakfast consisting of cheese and a slice of bread, and shimmy down the tree to the forest floor. I cautiously look around...
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